Only three years ago, the Republican party enjoyed majorities in the Senate and the House of Representatives, and it held the White House. Now, it has lost all three. But the conservative movement is suffering much deeper problems than passing unpopularity.

In the past month, a string of potential contenders for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination have self-destructed. The latest is Sarah Palin, governor of Alaska and the Republican vice-presidential candidate in 2008, who has announced she will soon resign her state office.